1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wad for a shotgun shotshell, which can be used, for example, with a sporting gun.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A shotshell for a shotgun for hunting or a shooting match has a case with a primer. In the case, powder (propellant), a wad, and a projectile, such as shot (below, "pellets") or a slug, are charged. The case is provided, on its front end, with a crimp for preventing the projectile from coming out of the case.
Pellet projectiles are useful for shooting moving targets, such as flying birds, or for skeetshooting since the pellets fired from the shotgun spread out when flying toward the target. So long as the target is in the range of the spread of the pellets, the pellets can hit the target. Shotshells available on the market, however, have a small angle of spread and are not suitable for short-distance shooting.
Slug projectiles, which can be loaded in shotguns in place of pellet projectiles, are useful for shooting larger animals or immovable targets. The hit probability of the slug depends on the stability of the travelling attitude of the slug after being fired from the muzzle. In order to ensure the stability of the slug, it is known to fire the slug while rotating the same about its axis. The rotation of the slug contributes to increased stability due to the so-called gyro-effect. However, since shotguns do not have rifling in the barrel, unlike rifle, it is impossible to rotate the slug at a high speed. As a result, the hit probability of the slug is considerably smaller than that with a rifle.